Make these 50 bucket list items a priority on your next visit to Japan!

Apr 12, 2021

BY Stephanie Campbell

OUR TOP 50!

Japan is rich in culture and history. It’s filled with unique experiences that will delight and surprise you! With so much to take in, how can you possibly choose what to do when you visit? Lucky for you, we’ve put together a bucket list of 50 must-do’s while you’re in Japan!

Have Fun Being a Tourist

1) See the Sunrise From the Top of Mt. Fuji
2) Watch Landscapes Fly By on the Shinkansen (The Bullet Train)
3) Shop Around Tokyo
4) Make a Wish at Shrines and Temples
5) Meander Through the Nishiki Market in Kyoto
6) Relax in a Japanese Hot Spring

7) Admire the Cherry Blossoms
8) Take a Trip Through the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
9) Lose Your Voice Singing Karaoke

10) Get Your Picture Taken at Fushimi Inari
11) Feed the Deer at Nara Park
12) Overlook the City at the Top of Tokyo Skytree

Learn to Be a Local Through Cultural Activities

13) Participate in a Traditional Tea Ceremony
14) Get Lost in a Crowd at a Local Festival
15) Prepare Your Own Soba
16) Watch Japanese Television
17) Collect Your Favorite Manga from Book-Off

18) Attend a Sumo Tournament
19) See a Kabuki Show
20) Yell “Kanpai” With Friends at an Izakaya

Photo by TheRealJapan.com

21) Cheer for the Local Team at a Baseball Game
22) Make Mochi By Hand Using a Mallet

Eat Your Way Through Japan

23) Eat Dango from a Festival Stall
24) Slurp Ramen
25) Savor Sushi and Sashimi from the Tsukiji Fish Market
26) Try as Many Kit Kat Flavors as Possible
27) Taste the 7th Level of Matcha Gelato at Nanaya
28) Enjoy Osaka’s Famous Takoyaki

More Places to Visit While You Are Here!

29) Wear Your Mickey Mouse Ears Around Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
30) Mingle with Trainers at a Pokémon Center
31) Enter the Universe of Anime at J-World
32) Buy Tickets and Explore the Ghibli Museum
33) Order Food at a Maid and Butler Cafe
34) Ride the Elevator to the Top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building at Night

35) Say Hi to the Snow Monkeys in Nagano
36) Fall in Love with the Fall Colors in Nikko
37) Travel to as Many World Heritage Sites as Possible
38) Snorkel Through the Clear Waters of Okinawa
39) Bike Through the Countryside of Kyushu
40) Party Like a Minion at USJ (Universal Studios Japan)
41) Compete with Friends at a Japanese Game Center
42) Layer-Up at the Sapporo Snow Festival

And Don’t Forget…

43) Start Your Gachapon Collection
44) Gaze at Beautiful Winter Illuminations
45) Mail a Postcard Home
46) Use a Squatty Potty

47) Buy Green Tea From a Vending Machine
48) Watch Fireworks in a Yukata During the Summer
49) Take and Decorate Purikura Pictures
50) Make New Friends Along the Way

Even though travel isn’t possible right now with Covid-19, it’s never too early to start preparing for your long-awaited dream trip! Arigato Japan is here to help, whether you’re starting to plan your journey today or in the future when everything begins to open back up.